Narrative:

This flight was part of sequence apr/xx/95 from ord. It is important to note that the first flight is scheduled to depart ord at XA50 CDT for las, and we arrived at XA58 PDT, some 31 mins late, due to strong headwinds. The layover was at the hotel adjacent to the las airport. Strong northwest winds continued throughout the day and night, causing departures to use runway 1R, just east of our crew rooms. Pickup for the next leg of the trip was at XB40 am PDT. Each of our crew remarked at the lack of sleep attained for various reasons, mainly adjusting to a night schedule immediately after flying a morning trip and the noise both in and outside our hotel rooms during this layover of some 11 hour 37 mins, and having to fly a second duty period scheduled to take us through dfw to cle, arriving at XC56 EDT, less than 24 hours from the beginning of the previous day's trip from ord and totaling about 9 hours 23 mins in actual/scheduled flight time. Flight las to dfw was not scheduled to have a meal for either cockpit or cabin crew, and none was provided. No restaurants/snack bars were open at the time we arrived at the gate area by van. This backgnd now brings us to the incident flight, apr/xx/95. Flight originated in las, the aircraft having an inoperative APU requiring engine starts at the gate, pushing back at XA53 PDT. About 1 hour into the flight, at 37000 ft, I discovered the right airconditioning pack was only producing 4 psi on the flow gauge. The flight attendants had called several times over the 10 or 15 mins prior to this to warm up the cabin, but further adjustments did not solve the problem. Pressurization was not a problem, and I chose to continue the flight at FL370 in an effort to top a line of thunderstorms in the texas panhandle ahead. At approximately XB00 CDT, 1 hour 55 mins into the flight, we had just passed through a hole in the WX and were about to start our descent into dfw with a vector to the southeast for the remaining storm activity to our north. First officer and I both felt a rise in the cabin pressure and immediately noted that the cabin was in a climb above the normal 8000 ft for the 37000 ft we were flying at. I requested an immediate descent and told ZFW we were having a pressurization problem. As first officer descended through 30000 ft the cabin was pegged on 1500 FPM rate of climb and was past approximately 15000 ft before it began to descend. I ran the QRH procedure for rapid depressurization first, followed by the explosive depressurization checklist. Passenger oxygen masks were manually deployed as part of the explosive depressurization checklist, and I made the PA to our 51 passenger plus cabin crew. I felt I could not be well understood through the oxygen mask microphone and said the passenger should listen carefully to the flight attendants for instructions as we would be landing as soon as possible. Completing the checklists and talking with ATC while wearing our oxygen masks was somewhat difficult as expected in training. I commented to the first officer that we must be extra careful in our duties due to the fatigue and lack of food also adding to our situation. I next contacted dispatch desk to inform flight dispatcher of our situation. I also requested passenger service be notified to meet the aircraft after we arrived at gate, which was acknowledged. WX at dfw at XC50 was measured 900 ft overcast, visibility 10 mi, winds 150 degrees at 15 KTS. We received clearance for the converging ILS runway 13R which has an 800 ft minimum descent altitude. We still had our oxygen masks on down to leveloff at 7000 ft MSL since the cabin was still above 10000 ft until this point. I requested the ILS runway 13R to get the lower decision ht and not risk a go around, but ATC said that would require a delay due to other aircraft on the runway 18R approach. We continued for the converging runway 13R approach as we were in moderately choppy air at 7000 ft in the clouds. The 210 KT speed assigned also caused us numerous gear horn warnings in the choppy air. We were too busy running checklists and other duties to have a full time finger on the gear horn button. The flight attendants later commented that they thought we also had a gear problem with the number of horn alerts. The first officer landed at XD25 CDT and contactedthe ramp tower for gate information. He also requested that passenger service be at the gate to help with our shaken passenger. I parked the aircraft at XD37 CDT and we found no passenger service people at any time during the deplaning, only maintenance supervisors and mechanics who were very helpful. I checked with all the passenger I could as they deplaned and asked about any problems with ears and pressure. Only one remarked about being a little stuffed up. Flight attendants performed throughout the incident in an excellent manner. They assisted with oxygen masks and calmed more than a few terrified passenger who were awakened by the combination of a loss of cabin pressure, turbulent WX, and a rapid rate of descent in the predawn skies. They are to be praised not only for their exemplary performance of duties, but also for being able to accomplish them under the adverse conditions of this sequence as it was both scheduled and occurred. No meals, lack of sleep, on top of a FLIP-flop in duty periods within 23 hours is asking a lot of anyone when a problem is encountered such as this. The entire crew had to hurry over to gate for the next leg departing at XD13, just 20 mins after we finished our maintenance debrief and I spoke with dispatch at gate check-in counter. The next leg had thankfully been rescheduled to an F100 and we were deadheading to cle. Unfortunately, our scheduled breakfast was not offered on the dfw-cle leg and we did not get to eat a meal until we arrived at the hotel sometime after XE00 EDT. A apologize for this lengthy debrief, but I felt the many factors involved were all important to the outcome of this problem. I feel we were very lucky to have been able to perform throughout this incident with the physiological factors working against us in so many areas. I also must apologize for the delay in submitting this report as the third day of this sequence began at XF00 with a pickup at the hotel and 3 legs from cle-mia-lga-ord. With WX delays it turned into 8 hours 38 mins of flight time and a 12 hour 40 min duty day getting home to ord.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS PART OF SEQUENCE APR/XX/95 FROM ORD. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE FIRST FLT IS SCHEDULED TO DEPART ORD AT XA50 CDT FOR LAS, AND WE ARRIVED AT XA58 PDT, SOME 31 MINS LATE, DUE TO STRONG HEADWINDS. THE LAYOVER WAS AT THE HOTEL ADJACENT TO THE LAS ARPT. STRONG NW WINDS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND NIGHT, CAUSING DEPS TO USE RWY 1R, JUST E OF OUR CREW ROOMS. PICKUP FOR THE NEXT LEG OF THE TRIP WAS AT XB40 AM PDT. EACH OF OUR CREW REMARKED AT THE LACK OF SLEEP ATTAINED FOR VARIOUS REASONS, MAINLY ADJUSTING TO A NIGHT SCHEDULE IMMEDIATELY AFTER FLYING A MORNING TRIP AND THE NOISE BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE OUR HOTEL ROOMS DURING THIS LAYOVER OF SOME 11 HR 37 MINS, AND HAVING TO FLY A SECOND DUTY PERIOD SCHEDULED TO TAKE US THROUGH DFW TO CLE, ARRIVING AT XC56 EDT, LESS THAN 24 HRS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PREVIOUS DAY'S TRIP FROM ORD AND TOTALING ABOUT 9 HRS 23 MINS IN ACTUAL/SCHEDULED FLT TIME. FLT LAS TO DFW WAS NOT SCHEDULED TO HAVE A MEAL FOR EITHER COCKPIT OR CABIN CREW, AND NONE WAS PROVIDED. NO RESTAURANTS/SNACK BARS WERE OPEN AT THE TIME WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE AREA BY VAN. THIS BACKGND NOW BRINGS US TO THE INCIDENT FLT, APR/XX/95. FLT ORIGINATED IN LAS, THE ACFT HAVING AN INOP APU REQUIRING ENG STARTS AT THE GATE, PUSHING BACK AT XA53 PDT. ABOUT 1 HR INTO THE FLT, AT 37000 FT, I DISCOVERED THE R AIRCONDITIONING PACK WAS ONLY PRODUCING 4 PSI ON THE FLOW GAUGE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD CALLED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE 10 OR 15 MINS PRIOR TO THIS TO WARM UP THE CABIN, BUT FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROB. PRESSURIZATION WAS NOT A PROB, AND I CHOSE TO CONTINUE THE FLT AT FL370 IN AN EFFORT TO TOP A LINE OF TSTMS IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AHEAD. AT APPROX XB00 CDT, 1 HR 55 MINS INTO THE FLT, WE HAD JUST PASSED THROUGH A HOLE IN THE WX AND WERE ABOUT TO START OUR DSCNT INTO DFW WITH A VECTOR TO THE SE FOR THE REMAINING STORM ACTIVITY TO OUR N. FO AND I BOTH FELT A RISE IN THE CABIN PRESSURE AND IMMEDIATELY NOTED THAT THE CABIN WAS IN A CLB ABOVE THE NORMAL 8000 FT FOR THE 37000 FT WE WERE FLYING AT. I REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND TOLD ZFW WE WERE HAVING A PRESSURIZATION PROB. AS FO DSNDED THROUGH 30000 FT THE CABIN WAS PEGGED ON 1500 FPM RATE OF CLB AND WAS PAST APPROX 15000 FT BEFORE IT BEGAN TO DSND. I RAN THE QRH PROC FOR RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE EXPLOSIVE DEPRESSURIZATION CHKLIST. PAX OXYGEN MASKS WERE MANUALLY DEPLOYED AS PART OF THE EXPLOSIVE DEPRESSURIZATION CHKLIST, AND I MADE THE PA TO OUR 51 PAX PLUS CABIN CREW. I FELT I COULD NOT BE WELL UNDERSTOOD THROUGH THE OXYGEN MASK MIKE AND SAID THE PAX SHOULD LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS FOR INSTRUCTIONS AS WE WOULD BE LNDG ASAP. COMPLETING THE CHKLISTS AND TALKING WITH ATC WHILE WEARING OUR OXYGEN MASKS WAS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT AS EXPECTED IN TRAINING. I COMMENTED TO THE FO THAT WE MUST BE EXTRA CAREFUL IN OUR DUTIES DUE TO THE FATIGUE AND LACK OF FOOD ALSO ADDING TO OUR SIT. I NEXT CONTACTED DISPATCH DESK TO INFORM FLT DISPATCHER OF OUR SIT. I ALSO REQUESTED PAX SVC BE NOTIFIED TO MEET THE ACFT AFTER WE ARRIVED AT GATE, WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. WX AT DFW AT XC50 WAS MEASURED 900 FT OVCST, VISIBILITY 10 MI, WINDS 150 DEGS AT 15 KTS. WE RECEIVED CLRNC FOR THE CONVERGING ILS RWY 13R WHICH HAS AN 800 FT MINIMUM DSCNT ALT. WE STILL HAD OUR OXYGEN MASKS ON DOWN TO LEVELOFF AT 7000 FT MSL SINCE THE CABIN WAS STILL ABOVE 10000 FT UNTIL THIS POINT. I REQUESTED THE ILS RWY 13R TO GET THE LOWER DECISION HT AND NOT RISK A GAR, BUT ATC SAID THAT WOULD REQUIRE A DELAY DUE TO OTHER ACFT ON THE RWY 18R APCH. WE CONTINUED FOR THE CONVERGING RWY 13R APCH AS WE WERE IN MODERATELY CHOPPY AIR AT 7000 FT IN THE CLOUDS. THE 210 KT SPD ASSIGNED ALSO CAUSED US NUMEROUS GEAR HORN WARNINGS IN THE CHOPPY AIR. WE WERE TOO BUSY RUNNING CHKLISTS AND OTHER DUTIES TO HAVE A FULL TIME FINGER ON THE GEAR HORN BUTTON. THE FLT ATTENDANTS LATER COMMENTED THAT THEY THOUGHT WE ALSO HAD A GEAR PROB WITH THE NUMBER OF HORN ALERTS. THE FO LANDED AT XD25 CDT AND CONTACTEDTHE RAMP TWR FOR GATE INFO. HE ALSO REQUESTED THAT PAX SVC BE AT THE GATE TO HELP WITH OUR SHAKEN PAX. I PARKED THE ACFT AT XD37 CDT AND WE FOUND NO PAX SVC PEOPLE AT ANY TIME DURING THE DEPLANING, ONLY MAINT SUPVRS AND MECHS WHO WERE VERY HELPFUL. I CHKED WITH ALL THE PAX I COULD AS THEY DEPLANED AND ASKED ABOUT ANY PROBS WITH EARS AND PRESSURE. ONLY ONE REMARKED ABOUT BEING A LITTLE STUFFED UP. FLT ATTENDANTS PERFORMED THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT IN AN EXCELLENT MANNER. THEY ASSISTED WITH OXYGEN MASKS AND CALMED MORE THAN A FEW TERRIFIED PAX WHO WERE AWAKENED BY THE COMBINATION OF A LOSS OF CABIN PRESSURE, TURBULENT WX, AND A RAPID RATE OF DSCNT IN THE PREDAWN SKIES. THEY ARE TO BE PRAISED NOT ONLY FOR THEIR EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES, BUT ALSO FOR BEING ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THEM UNDER THE ADVERSE CONDITIONS OF THIS SEQUENCE AS IT WAS BOTH SCHEDULED AND OCCURRED. NO MEALS, LACK OF SLEEP, ON TOP OF A FLIP-FLOP IN DUTY PERIODS WITHIN 23 HRS IS ASKING A LOT OF ANYONE WHEN A PROB IS ENCOUNTERED SUCH AS THIS. THE ENTIRE CREW HAD TO HURRY OVER TO GATE FOR THE NEXT LEG DEPARTING AT XD13, JUST 20 MINS AFTER WE FINISHED OUR MAINT DEBRIEF AND I SPOKE WITH DISPATCH AT GATE CHK-IN COUNTER. THE NEXT LEG HAD THANKFULLY BEEN RESCHEDULED TO AN F100 AND WE WERE DEADHEADING TO CLE. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR SCHEDULED BREAKFAST WAS NOT OFFERED ON THE DFW-CLE LEG AND WE DID NOT GET TO EAT A MEAL UNTIL WE ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL SOMETIME AFTER XE00 EDT. A APOLOGIZE FOR THIS LENGTHY DEBRIEF, BUT I FELT THE MANY FACTORS INVOLVED WERE ALL IMPORTANT TO THE OUTCOME OF THIS PROB. I FEEL WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PERFORM THROUGHOUT THIS INCIDENT WITH THE PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS WORKING AGAINST US IN SO MANY AREAS. I ALSO MUST APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY IN SUBMITTING THIS RPT AS THE THIRD DAY OF THIS SEQUENCE BEGAN AT XF00 WITH A PICKUP AT THE HOTEL AND 3 LEGS FROM CLE-MIA-LGA-ORD. WITH WX DELAYS IT TURNED INTO 8 HRS 38 MINS OF FLT TIME AND A 12 HR 40 MIN DUTY DAY GETTING HOME TO ORD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.